Sky without Stars (Himmel ohne Sterne)

SKY WITHOUT STARS

This is the story of the worker

Anna Kaminski from Broditz. Thuringia. And the border guard

Carl Altmann from Oberfeldkirch in Upper Frankonia.

While it didn"t take place.

It could happen any time.

SECTOR BORDER

For there is a border that runs right through the country.

Through fields and towns.

A border that divides not peoples. But one people.

A strip of dead land runs from the Baltic Sea to Bavaria.

A strip that was cleared.

Ploughed and harrowed.

But on which nothing was sown.

Except discord and hatred.

Sown and harvested.

In late summer. 1952. The border is not yet visible everywhere.

It seems something temporary. And this gives hope.

It is guarded all the more closely.

On both sides.

But at the rivers. And in the woods...

The river"s the border. You"ll be in the West in 10 minutes.

The ferry boat is under the Saale Bridge.

I "ll just make sure all" s clear behind us. Wait down at the shore.

GDR BORDER

National Guard!

Sorry. Everybody. You"re out of luck. Can"t you read?

The sign says ""GDR BORDER"".

Or were you planning to take a trip?

May I see the travel permits.

And the export permits

for the clothing?

Well look here. Director Klütsch from Grimma. - Yes.

How interesting.

Come on. Come on!

So you don"t feel like fighting for peace. All of a sudden?

What"s this? Shut up! Let me through. I"m a doctor.

Help!

Then take the kids aside.

Why does he try to go over if he"s in such bad shape?

Hey! Stop!

Heini. Hey!

Why all the shooting? Let her go.

Let her go. If she really wants to. She"s a good swimmer.

- The man"s dead. - What?

Yes. Heart attack. Probably out of fear.

What are you looking at me for? Can I help it?

I can"t help it.

What are you doing there?

L"m trying to dry off.

Did you come from the other side?

Yes.

You swam? Is there another way? Yes.

The proper way. On the street. With a permit.

Here"s my passport. Please turn around.

Anything else? Travel documents. Moving permits?

They have those there as well.

"" Kaminski. Anna.

Born October 10. 1928. ""

You"re only 24?

Registered where? Says right there. In Broditz.

Don"t send me to a refugee camp!

Hold on. Miss. Who said anything about a camp?

I know all about it. It"s not my first time.

I thought they help you in the West.

And then you end up in a camp. No one made you enter illegally.

Oh no. No one forces you.

I didn"t make the border.

L"m only staying until tomorrow morning.

Why go to the West for only a day?

Are you trading goods. Or anything like that?

Oh. Here...

How much will you give me? Sorry. There"s no propaganda.

L"m just doing my duty.

Just doing your duty. Nothing else matters when you"re in uniform.

Are you injured?

Me? Your comrade over there was just doing his duty too.

Did they shoot at you? Just grazed me. Turn around!

Let me see it.

If you don "t bandage it. You" ll get blood poisoning from dirt or fluff.

My skirt doesn"t fluff!

- Does it hurt? - A little.

Quite a wound. Can you walk? I don"t know.

The next village is right over there. Oberfeldkirch.

They don"t have a doctor. But... A refugee collection point?

The people I live with will surely have something.

Can"t you get me something by bike?

Then my things will be dry. And you won"t have to turn around.

Okay.

Of course we carry Warbur products. Whatever our customers want.

My Otto takes care of it. You can have anything nowadays.

These two would be...

I"ll be right with you. Here you go.

Anna! What a... So you"re back again?

Hello. Father Friese. I... Hello. Mr. Friese.

Some salad and cold cuts. For our guests from the insurance.

Of course. Just a moment. Would you go upstairs? I"ll let the maid know.

- How is the boy? - Fine. Fine.

Wholesale is already so expensive.

Then I"ll take the small can. Alright. Mrs. Kleinschmidt.

Here we are. Kaminski is outside.

Oh my goodness! I sent her upstairs.

She"s got that typical East look.

Mr. Friese! Just a moment. Please.

Wilma? A woman is coming up. She looks like a refugee.

See her in. And make some coffee.

No. No. The good kind. My wife will be right up.

Who knows what she wants this time. Is the boy upstairs? No.

4.75. Mrs. Kleinschmidt. On this week"s bill?

Go ahead. Go on up. Me. Always me!

The coffee"s coming.

Yes. Thanks. I"ll bring it down.

Oh. Anna!

- What a nice surprise! - Really?

What? It"s not our fault that things are the way they are.

L"m sorry. Hello.

L"m sorry too. I"m just so irritable lately.

We"re so busy.

So things are picking up? Yes. We can"t complain.

It "s almost betterthan" 38.

We want to take over the store next door in autumn.

- The bookshop? - Yes.

Otto wants to open a snackbar. ""Friese"s Delicatessen"".

You can imagine how busy we"ll be then.

Yes. -And you? How are you doing over there?

Better too. Not like "38. But better than "46.

Better in a different way. Really? That"s nice to hear.

Oh. Anna. It"s so sad

that our boy couldn"t live to see this all.

Oh. Our little Gerhard.

Your Gerhard.

It"s a miracle that things are going so well after all these years

with no income. And that nasty trustee in the shop.

What a consolation it is to have the boy. His son.

Yes.

Here. Let"s have some coffee. Real coffee. With cake.

- With filling. - Thank you.

How is he? Does he ask about me?

Rarely. He feels completely at home here.

And you know how kids are at that age. They forget so quickly.

Has he grown? How long has it been?

381 days.

Are you just passing through?

I want to take my son back with me.

To the East?

Yes.

Yes. I"m coming.

Grandpa said Grandma"s upstairs.

I want a saddle-bag with feathers. Just like Herbert.

Whatever you want. Now look who"s here.

- Mommy? - Go on. Say hello.

Mommy!

You little rascal. Come here. Wilma.

Get him out of his lndian outfit and into the bathtub.

No. I want to stay with Mommy.

Mommy. I have a turtle. He eats real lettuce.

And a slow-worm. But he"s dead. Look!

Come on. You vagabond. Here. Some cake.

Cake. I want a big pie.

You"ll get a big pie if you come out nice and clean.

But Mommy"s staying. Right?

Yes. Mommy"s staying.

Okay!

When can we talk about it? I have to be back tomorrow.

Not till tonight. After work.

What do you mean by ""take my son back with me""? What about us?

I am his mother. After all. And we"re his grandparents.

He"s all that"s left of our son. And what"s left for me?

You hardly knew Gerhard. Two weeks vacation. That was all.

Father worked so hard. Just for him. Oh. Stop it.

Who says he wasn"t everything to me. Even if it was only two weeks?

Not even two weeks. Just three days.

Am I responsible for the war. And for what followed?

Which was even worse. - Can I help it that I"m not your daughter-in-law?

I couldn"t marry a dead hero! I don"t like being a single mother.

Listen to you! I know. I"ve heard it all before.

We should"ve waited until after the wartime wedding.

But then there"d be no Jochen.

That would suit you best. Despite your act with the child.

But we couldn"t. And didn"t want to wait.

We loved each other. Everything else was dirt. Blood and fear.

Go ahead. Hold that bit of happiness against me. I"m glad I did it.

Nobody"s holding it against you. That"s not what Otto meant.

Mother. You stay out of it.

Anna. There"s no sense in going at each other.

We have to face the facts. This is the boy"s home.

He has everything he needs. Even when the trustee was here.

Come. Come. What"s the poor boy to do in the East?

Can you protect him? You can"t do that here either.

I beg to differ about that. That"s right.

Leave things the way they are. That way"s better.

I mean. Relatively speaking.

Why don"t you come over to the West?

We have room. And you can work here.

I have to hire someone anyway. Because of the shop next door.

You know I can"t leave Broditz. Who"ll take care of the old folks?

Grandfather is nearly 80. And Grandmother... you know.

Hans is still in the Ural. Voluntarilly.

We never hear from him.

No. I won"t have a border between me and my son.